The Progress Report

For your next project, you are to write a memo apprising me of the progress that you are making on your final project, the Formal Analytical Report, and asking me for any help you might need.

Details

First and foremost, your progress report must provide evidence that you have made substantial progress towards completing your final report.

Provide the following information:

What is your project? Remind me briefly of the audience and purpose of your final report.

What has been completed? Provide enough detail and specifics to convince me that you are making substantial and appropriate progress towards completing the formal report by the end of the semester. Indicate research you have completed as well as the results of that research.

What is still in progress?

Have there been any major changes from your initial proposal and/or recommendation projections?

Are you still on track? If there are any problems, be sure to state them. I may be able to offer suggestions for additional resources to help.

How will you organize the final report? Include a tentative outline of Assignment 6, your formal analytical report, as an appendix.

You must also use appropriate business memo format. Organize your memo into a beginning that includes your purpose, a middle that carries out your purpose, and an ending.

Evaluation Criteria

Content. A brief project description re-orients the reader to the project. The content is specific. In addition to listing achievements, the writer will also summarize the results and/or findings of those achievements. Achievements are reasonable for this point in the project.

Clarity, Style and Tone. Your report is well-written. The tone is businesslike: the writer neither whines about problems and looks for excuses nor inflates the accomplishments. The problem statement is clear and logically stated; sentences are correct, concise and arranged so that the meaning is easily obtained; and the prose is effective for a general reader. Paragraphs are coherent, unified and relatively short (125 words or fewer).

Design and Format. Your design choices, including headings, subheadings, font choices, etc., increase the professional appearance of the document and the accessibility of content. Business memo format is used consistently and appropriately.